Chrysanthemum plant named Light Volare

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Light Volare particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; light purple ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 80 to 83 mm when fully opened, when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; photoperiodic flowering response of 49 to 55 days after start of short days when grown in Salinas, Calif.; flowering response in Bogota, Colombia is 68 to 70 days; plant height is 74 to 84 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 11 long days prior to start of short days; height is 109 to 112 cm when grown in Bogota with 14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days; peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing the apical bud and without growth regulator applications is 10 to 13 cm when grown in Salinas, and 13 to 18 cm when grown in Bogota; peduncle length of the fourth lateral at flowering is 13 to 18 cm when grown in Salinas, and 18 to 23 cm when grown in Bogota; and excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, andreferred to by the cultivar name Light Volare.

Light Volare, identified as 3496 (87-512A13), is a product of a mutationinduction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected byCornelis P. VandenBerg on Nov. 28, 1990, in a controlled environment inSalinas, Calif., as one flowering plant within a flowering blockestablished as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had been exposedas unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads in Fort Myers,Fla., on Jun. 14, 1990.

The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivar identified as Volare,disclosed in Plant Pat. No. 8,058, and described as a spray cut mum withflat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; light purple ray floretcolor; diameter across face of capitulum of 80 to 83 mm when fullyopened; flowering response period of 49 to 53 days after start of shortdays in Salinas, Calif., and 63 to 72 days in Bogota, Colombia; plantheight of 74 to 99 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 14 long days priorto start of short days, and 99 to 114 cm when grown in Bogota with 14 to21 long days prior to start of short days; and excellent tolerance tolow night temperatures for bud initiation and flower development. Theforegoing description of Volare has a somewhat wider range ofmeasurements than the description of Volare in the noted plant patent.This is based on continued flowering trials of Volare after the patentapplication for Volare was prepared and filed.

The irradiation program resulting in Light Volare had as its primaryobjective the expansion of ray floret color ranges of the parentcultivar Volare. The irradiation program comprised irradiating cuttingsof the parent cultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000rads. A total of 1414 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiatedplants were planted on Sep. 24, 1990, Sep. 17, 1990 and Sep. 17, 1990,respectively. Of these, 7 initial selections were made, which selectionswere then revegetated and reflowered. Three consecutive floweringsresulted in discarding 4 of the original 7 selections on Aug. 9, 1991,while 3 codes were retained as PI (Possible Introduction) status. Thethree retained codes were further tested in Salinas, Calif., and inBogota, Colombia, ultimately resulting in the decision to introduce twoof the remaining selections as Light Volare and Blue Volare. The thirdremaining selection was discarded on Oct. 26, 1992. The cultivar BlueVolare is disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 08/041,495.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Light Volare was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the original selection inJanuary 1991 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., bytechnicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successiveplantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for Light Volare are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Light Volare has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plantsgrown in Salinas, Calif. and in Bogota, Colombia, under greenhouseconditions which approximate those generally used in commercialgreenhouse practice. The low night temperature tolerance was determinedin repeated flowerings in Bogota, Colombia, at temperatures as low as5°-10° C.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Light Volare, which, in combination,distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Daisy capitulum type.

3. Light purple ray floret color.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 80 to 83 mm when fully opened,when grown as a single stem spray cut mum.

5. Photoperiodic flowering response to short days when grown in Salinas,Calif., is 49 to 55 days after start of short days. Flowering responsein Bogota, Colombia is 68 to 70 days.

6. Plant height is 74 to 84 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 11 longdays prior to start of short days; height is 109 to 112 cm when grown inBogota with 14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days.

7. Peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing theapical bud and without growth regulator applications is 10 to 13 cm whengrown in Salinas, and 13 to 18 cm when grown in Bogota. Peduncle lengthof the fourth lateral at flowering is 13 to 18 cm when grown in Salinas,and 18 to 23 cm when grown in Bogota.

8. Excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation andflower development.

The accompanying color photographic drawing is a front perspective viewof a single stem cut spray mum of Light Volare, with the colors being asnearly true as possible with illustrations of this type.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar incomparison to Light Volare is the parent cultivar Volare. All traits ofLight Volare are similar to those of Volare, except for the ray floretcolor and flowering response. The ray floret color of Light Volare is asignificantly lighter purple than the ray floret color of Volare. Inseveral flowering trials the flowering response of Light Volare was 1 to2 days slower than the flowering response of Volare.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined onplant material grown as a pinched spray pot mum in Salinas, Calif. onDec. 16, 1992.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Light Volare.

Commercial.--Flat daisy cut spray mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Daisy.

Diameter across face.--80 to 83 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Light purple.

Color (upper surface).--75C to 75D.

Color (under surface).--75C, overcast with 69D.

Shape.--Straight, slightly ribbed.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--14B.

Color (immature).--144B.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; moderate pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--74 to 84 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 11 long days priorto start of short days; height is 109 to 112 cm when grown in Bogotawith 14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Light Volare,as described and illustrated.